Gezicht op een deel van de ruïne van Kasteel Oosterwijk, 1740 1752 - 1792

Hendrik Spilman's etching from 1740, titled *Gezicht op een deel van de ruïne van Kasteel Oosterwijk,* captures a fragment of a fallen castle. In the 18th century, ruins were often seen as symbols of the past, a romantic reminder of time’s passage and the transience of human endeavors. But what does it mean to memorialize a ruin? What is the relationship between the ruin and progress? The men who inhabit the landscape seem oblivious to the disrepair. This engraving provides an emotional experience, inviting us to reflect on themes of loss, change, and the enduring power of memory. Spilman's rendering transforms a ruin into a contemplative space, where the boundaries between past and present blur.